Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-11-05
A DISENCHANTMENT
Shakespeare's HOuSe n 1t Is, Without
llamOur-''Pleniy OF Room ERE for
the Mighty Brain."

had Travelled much. writes q correspondent of
the Pal Mail Gazette, and in my travels had seen
the graves and homes OF many OF the poets OF Eng
land, far and near. l had been to Rydal Mount
and TO the churchyard at Grasmere, where fresh
flowers left by some loving hand lay upon the
mound where Wordsworth lies 1 had crOuched
at Hlghgate under that dismal sunless penthouse,
and had read the single word 'Colerldge" cut deep
into the huge stone that covers him there for a
little while. had often stood by the nnoldering
stone that marks the resting place OF Goldsmith In
that strange, meager yard in the Temple, while
from the windows above clerks peered wondering
at the sight OF q stranger not in a hurry. 1 had
stood also by the grave OF Clough at Florence, and
in that sloping garden or rest under the wall at
Rome where are gathered the ashes OF Shelley and
all that was mortal OF Keats; but to Stratford-
upOn-Avon had never been, and the thing SEEM
tns reproach TO me- TO StratIOrd determined to
go. Now, had not thought how this pilgrimage
might sadly dtf1er from the Others else aSSuredIy
had never risen up TO go. At all other shrines of
the poets man may be alone with his thoughts
when lt Will be his fault II they be mean. AT the
most there may chance TO be near some sexton or
doorkeeper whose courtesy may save some search
and whose indifference Will make him depart about
his bu>ineoS1n silence. membcring these things.
with anticipation OF peculiar pleasure and wi, d
true reverence Tor the greatest OF the great, for
Stratford set forth.
way station. and on reaching the Shakespeare
"'Otel" am astonished TO hear the order, "Boots
take the gentlenans lugg ge up to Romeo and
Juliet" On mounting the stairs this amazing in
struction TO Boots Is explained, each bedroom in
the house having the name OF pl " over IL instead
OF number. This rather shock, but It does not
do 10 be too sensitive, so dine and retire to num-
Der Romeo AMI juliet for the night In the morn
Ing earn tnat Snalespeare's house opens to the
puJiic at O'CLOCK, so l breakfast cary, and am
there by that hour hoping rorestall the parties
OF Americans whose unDistakable intOnatiOnS NIL
the coffee-rocm. On the stroke OF nine step into
the brdnlnew restored" porch and ring the bell !:
the door Is opened by Il pleasant man, VINO begins
cheerfuly, GOOD morning. Sixpence for the house
aud sixpence for the museum" get out shilling,
and am given two. little well-Chumbed tickets
the man then shuts the door and says by heart
''rnls Is the mouse where Shakespeare was born
you VIII pc shown the actu room wnere he was
born upstairs; that large chimney has never been
altered and those seats each SIDE OF It are lust
as they were when Shakespeare was boy: VIII
you take seat where Shakespeare sat?" / feel a
violent desire TO get back into Ine street. but at
tue same time do not want TO offend wor hy fell
io|-creature, 50 stand hOpelesSy looking at the
says, "rhey are wiped round carefully every morn
ing; they are quite Clean"
turn desperately and escape up q couple OF
steps into an inner room. Here mud an elderly
auSterc-l0Oking female. Before she begins to saw
her lesson have time toObserve that the walls
ana ceing 81 TINS room nke those Of the last are
Robinsons OF Birmingham and JOaeses OF Chica 70
The woman begins her tale In a determined tone.
and up go at once; sue follows, recitinR as she
ascend5; she gets to Inc window IN time for the
WORD ''Here, you soc, Sir Walter Scott wrote his
name on the glass with hts ring on his ringer
nave you been to tue church YETI" (fhe Query
part or the recltation). look at the window
Tor SCOTS scribbe, and am thankful cannot de-
cipher 1t among the mutitudinous scraWlinQs
We get down again intOthe lower room, and am
asked TO write my name In the book; Lhis done
the woman shows picture OF Shakespeare then a
bust. Sue lays her hand upon the forehead, and
says, "Plenty OF room ere for the mighty BRAIN y
pOrcn-doOr there IL the man who says 20 me-
inis Is TOO much: make for the street. At the
"rnis Way, piease, TO the museum" "No. can
not answer. and escape.
AZ the church I ma myself in party; pay my
devotion and wait till the others have left the
chancel; the enjoy upon the altar has been
painted like Dutch doll; this treatment may be
archBo Officially correct but Is actually ridiculous:
but the stone below upon the floor, with It's prayer
Its blessing. and It's curse, bears what have not
ana and canno os made vulgar HIS wor.s Immortal
and again at the Memorial Theater, and again at
Anne hathaway cottage, and finally at the Shake
speare "'otel" and Stratford-upon-Av0n Is IN
iShed.
Before went there possessed IN imaginary but
wholly pleasing fancy picture OF shaksspeare's
home; there Will now, when tnink OF StratrOrd,
rse unbuden ana hated before me the memory OF
that woman stroking the bust with her hand,
saying, "Pienty OF room ere Tor the nightly brain